Smithet af orøske omgivelser
Årets strategiseminar og teambuilding-arrangement på Orø var en anledning til fælles refleksion over de seneste seks måneder hos Smith Innovation. Især diskuterede vi de tre tilgange, som vi har opdaget og integreret i løbet af de sidste par år, og som er afgørende for vores måde at operere på: Smith Academy, Smith Commons og Smith Consulting, som tidligere beskrevet her: https://rb.gy/zpm0aw
Strategiseminaret var for os en mulighed for at tage status og planlægge vores kurs for fremtiden, såvel som vores kunders og det byggede miljøs fremtid. Under det to dage lange seminar dukkede visse nøgleord op gentagne gange:
- Indflydelse,
- samarbejde,
- og handling.
Det blev klart, at for at opnå vores ønskede niveau af indflydelse kræves et stærkt samarbejde med en række interessenter for at skabe viden og værktøjer, der inviterer til handling i det brede samfund.
Ud over at drøfte strategier for ledelse og samarbejde i Smith, og andre faglige øvelser, prøvede vi kræfter med et, for de fleste i Smith-teamets vedkommende, uprøvet håndværk. Væve-håndværket. En passende øvelse inden man pakker skrivebordet sammen for sommeren, viser det sig. Kan det lade sig gøre at lægge optimerings-hatten på hylden og dvæle i vævningen uhæmmet af tids-tanker om effektivitet? Kan man give sig hen til en anden rytme, et nyt bevægelsesmønster eller et andet tempo for en stund?
Skiftevis overtog vi hinandens vævestykker, og som i ethvert andet projekt eller anden opgave viste overlevering af det foreløbige produkt sig at være vigtig. Hvilken side var man kommet til, og skulle der måske en ny spole i væveskytten? Fire viskestykker blev produceret i samarbejde. Måske de skal have plads i vores kontor som en påmindelse om det gode samarbejde, tid til fordybelse og overlevering, grundighed og kvalitet i arbejdet, og om at insistere på at undgå lastværk?
Værdier som disse, nu vævet ind i viskestykkerne, vægter vi højt hos Smith, og på den måde har kunsten at væve måske flere ting til fælles med konsulentarbejdet end man skulle tro.
Mens vi ser frem til at implementere de nye indsigter, ønsker vi alle en vidunderlig sommerferie.
Island-influences of Orø
With four home-woven tea towels completed, fresh air in our lungs, local ingredients in our bellies and one skill richer, the Smith Innovation team returned to Copenhagen yesterday after this year's strategy seminar on Orø. Woven together, metaphorically speaking, after a good two days, we are tying up loose ends until we are ready to pick up the threads again in a few weeks to continue our projects as usual.
At this year’s Strategy Seminar and team-building event, we had the opportunity to reflect on the past six months at Smith. It was an opportunity for us to take stock and plan our course for the future, as well as that of our clients and the built environment, in which we primarily operate.
During the two-day seminar, a few key words repeatedly came up:
- Impact,
- collaboration,
- and action.
It became clear that achieving our desired level of impact requires strong collaboration with a range of stakeholders to create actionable knowledge and tools for the wider community.
In addition to discussing strategies for leadership and collaboration at Smith, we tried our hand at a craft unfamiliar to most of the Smith team - weaving. This turned out to be a good exercise to tackle before winding down for the summer. Is it possible to set aside the habit of optimizing and instead immerse oneself in weaving without being hindered by thoughts of time and efficiency? Can you embrace a different rhythm, a new pattern of movement or a different pace for a while?
We took turns taking over each other's weaving and, as with any project, the art of handing over proved to be important. From which side should the work be continued and did the loom perhaps need a new bobbin? Four tea towels were produced collaboratively. Perhaps they should hang in our office as a reminder of good collaboration, time for immersion and handover, thoroughness and quality in work, and the common phrase ‘haste makes waste’.
Values like these, woven into the fabric of our organisation, are highly valued at Smith, and in this way, the art of weaving might have more in common with consulting work than one might have thought.
As we look forward to implementing these insights, we wish everyone a wonderful summer break.
